Michael Caine plays a Frenchman, Pierre Broussard, who collaborated with the Nazis during the war in "The Statement" from 2002. He is now an old man and in hiding, using another name, as he was arrested after the war and managed to escape. He is accused of killing 7 Jews, and this is shown in flashback. Now he's been hunted by two groups: vigilantes who intend to execute him, and the law, led by a judge (Tilda Swinton) and her associate (Jeremy Northam) who seek justice.
Broussard, a devout Catholic wanders from one Catholic abbey or monastery to another seeking refuge; he also receives money from yet another group, fellow collaborators, I think. When they find out he's being hunted, no one wants anything to do with him, and he winds up staying with his wife (Charlotte Rampling) who hates him. Then he's on the run again, in ill health and finding it more and more difficult to find people who will help him.
Michael Caine is excellent in this role of a frightened, pathetic old man who is constantly praying and wants to die in a state of grace. His patron saint is St. Christopher - I'm not sure when the book this is based on was written, but I thought St. Christopher had been kind of defrocked or something. Wrong saint.
Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Northam have supporting roles and not much to do in them. Alan Bates, Ciaran Hinds, and William Hutt are also part of the film. The scenery is beautiful.
This movie could have been much better. First of all, it was a little confusing; secondly, there was a lot of talk about this Chevaliers group, but I don't think anyone ever came out and said what they were about. In the end, I felt like it was a superficial telling of this story.
Someone here mentioned a newspaper review complained because no one in the film spoke with a French accent. This is mentioned in practically every movie set in another country by someone, but this is the first time I've heard a newspaper reviewer mention it. You don't need an accent; these people are speaking their own language, not English with an accent. How come no one questioned it in Ben Hur? Do theater-goers insist that Chekov be done with a Russian accent and that in A Doll's House the actors use Swedish accents? Is Hamlet performed with Danish accents? Why is this so hard to grasp that a newspaper reviewer would mention it? I'd love to know who they're hiring these days.
Anyway, this movie was a lost opportunity by director Norman Jewison. It's just not as good as it could have been.
Broussard, a devout Catholic wanders from one Catholic abbey or monastery to another seeking refuge; he also receives money from yet another group, fellow collaborators, I think. When they find out he's being hunted, no one wants anything to do with him, and he winds up staying with his wife (Charlotte Rampling) who hates him. Then he's on the run again, in ill health and finding it more and more difficult to find people who will help him.
Michael Caine is excellent in this role of a frightened, pathetic old man who is constantly praying and wants to die in a state of grace. His patron saint is St. Christopher - I'm not sure when the book this is based on was written, but I thought St. Christopher had been kind of defrocked or something. Wrong saint.
Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Northam have supporting roles and not much to do in them. Alan Bates, Ciaran Hinds, and William Hutt are also part of the film. The scenery is beautiful.
This movie could have been much better. First of all, it was a little confusing; secondly, there was a lot of talk about this Chevaliers group, but I don't think anyone ever came out and said what they were about. In the end, I felt like it was a superficial telling of this story.
Someone here mentioned a newspaper review complained because no one in the film spoke with a French accent. This is mentioned in practically every movie set in another country by someone, but this is the first time I've heard a newspaper reviewer mention it. You don't need an accent; these people are speaking their own language, not English with an accent. How come no one questioned it in Ben Hur? Do theater-goers insist that Chekov be done with a Russian accent and that in A Doll's House the actors use Swedish accents? Is Hamlet performed with Danish accents? Why is this so hard to grasp that a newspaper reviewer would mention it? I'd love to know who they're hiring these days.
Anyway, this movie was a lost opportunity by director Norman Jewison. It's just not as good as it could have been.